As the nation prepares itself to mark the three important milestones in our efforts to improve the health of our people and reduce inequality, the Gauteng Department of Health and Social Development has lined up a number of activities to deepen public awareness and to mobilise communities to step up efforts to reduce HIV infections, stand up against violence on women and children and to open up opportunities for the disabled.
As a build up the World AIDS Day on 1 December 2009, the department will embark on a door to door HIV and AIDS education campaign with effect from today. The campaign will see ward based volunteers visiting communities in Ekurhuleni metropolitan, Sedibeng district council, Johannesburg metropolitan and West Rand district council to spread the message of prevention and to encourage people to know their status. Departments, business and community organisations will hold many local events to support their members.
We know that violence against women and children contributes to the spread of HIV infection; we will therefore use our door to door campaign to highlight issues of abuse of children and gender based violence. As a department we have already taken a stand to oppose bail for all people accused of sexual abuse, and we urge communities to join us in making the coming festive season safe for women, children and the disabled.
Unless society takes a firm stand, gender based violence threatens to reverse the achievements we have made in our campaign against HIV and AIDS. From 2002 to 2008, we have seen a 50 percent reduction in new HIV infections among children and teenagers. There has been no overall increase in infections among adults and pregnant women although prevalence remains high with 14 percent in adults and 29 percent in pregnant women.
New HIV infections now occur mainly in the age group between twenty to thirty years in both males and females. Key factors include high sexual activity outside marriage with multiple partners, alcohol, and high vulnerability of young women due to gender and economic inequality. Currently the province has 70 accredited sites which provide antiretroviral treatment to 226 000 HIV positive patients. Three of these sites are located at the following three correctional centre; Johannesburg, Pretoria central and Krugersdorp prisons.
The Gauteng provincial government has revised its HIV and AIDS prevention strategy and adopted new priorities which include:
* mass education in communities to increase safe sex behaviours of youth and adults through wards, schools, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and community organisations.
* a bigger sustained AIDS media campaign
* increasing sites providing the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT) to further reduce infections in babies
* continuing with life skills in schools and add peer education for schools with higher than average risks of HIV.
* adding male circumcision to safe sex for young males as part of “combination HIV prevention”
* addressing social norms and values which increase risks focusing on involving men, reducing sex partners and reducing “transactional sex” (sex in exchange for favours)
* reducing the high vulnerability of young women
* increasing the percentage of people who know their HIV status, especially couples.
* increasing the supply of condoms.
The revised strategy also seeks to extend care and support to 80 percent of people living with AIDS and their families. Further measures to improve treatment, care and management of HIV and AIDS will be announced by the President on World AIDS Day. This year’s national event will take place at the Tshwane show grounds. A satellite event will also be held at Newton, Johannesburg to enable those who will not make it to Tshwane an opportunity to participate in the day and to hear the President’s message.
Our commitment to address issues affecting vulnerable groups in our society will not end on the World AIDS Day, but will be carried through to the International Day for Persons with Disability on 3 December 2009. This year’s event will feature all Gauteng provincial government departments providing services directly to people with disabilities in that community. These services will be supplemented by national government departments, such as Home Affairs taking applications of identity documents so that disabled people can access services rendered by government.
A main event and two sub-sequent events will be held, and each held in one of the six regions of Gauteng, namely:
Women with disabilities
The event will focus on the intersection of gender based violence and HIV and AIDS. The Office of Premier will support the Department of Health and Social Development on this programme highlighting issues of women and health. Women with disabilities will receive direct health services such as breast cancer screening, Pap smear, etc.
Youth with disabilities
The event will also focus on education issues through a career expo. It will target youth with disabilities from Education for Learners with Special Educational Needs (ELSEN) School. The highlight of the activity will be presentations from successful and professional people with disabilities who are to motivate the youth with disabilities as role models that they can also be successful through education. Educational institutions will be involved where they will set up stalls that will exhibit their products. The Gauteng will collate data of learners with disabilities with a view assisting them with learner ships, scholarships and bursaries.
In conclusion we wish to reiterate that the Gauteng provincial government is committed to upholding our constitution and to relentlessly pursue our goal of equality for all. We will redouble our efforts to deal with challenges facing people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in our society during this period and the years to come.
Inquiries:
Mandla Sidu
Cell: 082 773 9013
Simon Zwane
Cell: 082 551 9892
Issued by: Department of Health and Social Development, Gauteng Provincial government
23 November 2009
